The Organized Crimes Prevention Division (OCPD) has informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court that further investigations will be carried out regarding the statement of former State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaren regarding the LTTE.

The JVP in Parliament yesterday said that the country had no economic independence as a direct result of the unfeasible large-scale development projects undertaken by the previous Government while alleging that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had received Rs. 198 million from one Chinese company alone in the run up to the 2015 Presidential election.

The Government will go ahead with the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Singapore as it will enhance the Sri Lankan economy and the Agreement over Mattala Airport will be signed, within this year, with the Indian Government, to reduce the economic damage resulting from the continued maintenance of the Airport, State Minister of Finance, Eran Wickremaratne said.

Former Minister and UPFA MP Dayasiri Jayasekera yesterday informed parliament that a plot was being hatched to remove the President through constitutional amendments.

Following an order from the Right to Information Commission (RTIC) during the hearing of the RTI appeal filed by the Airline Pilots’ Guild of Sri Lanka (APGSL), SriLankan Airlines disclosed its top management’s salaries and the cost of personal flying training, borne by the company for its former CEO Suren Ratwatte.

Border guards of the Lviv and Lutsk detachments and the operative and search unit of the Eastern Regional Directorate have detained 13 illegal migrants – from Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh, the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service has reported.

The current government has a fear of elections, says UPFA MP Dullas Alahapperuma.

EU ambassadors warned Sri Lanka on Monday against ending its 42-year moratorium on capital punishment and said the island risked losing trade concessions if it went ahead.

The Joint Opposition (JO) yesterday said the Government would never implement the death penalty and that the topic had been introduced to divert the attention of the public from pressing issues.

The Criminal Investigation Department investigating the murder of Havelocks rugby player Wasim Thajudeen handed over two more DVDs containing the CCTV footage in connection with the murder to Colombo Additional Magistrate Isuru Nettikumara.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has issued a press release to clarify a statement allegedly done by him via a forged document purporting to be a media release.

The country has severely deteriorated under the current government, says former Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

State Minister of Law and Order Nalin Bandara Jayamaha yesterday (17) claimed in Parliament that the controversial Aava group, operating in the Northern Province, was a gang of teenagers, adding that they have not committed any murder thus far.

State Minister of Disaster Management Palitha Range Bandara yesterday said that he was satisfied with the re-organization taking place within the United National Party (UNP) as it gears itself for the 2020 Presidential Election.

Action will be taken against any minister if found to be protecting underworld leaders, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament yesterday.